Motherhood is not always Black and White

Tag Archives: baby

Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you all enjoyed your families, friends,and significant others during the holidays. I also hope you’re ready to get down to business this year like I am.My theme/word for this year is consistency and so I’ve picked goals that will help me focus on that.

Now that I’ve given birth to my son, Avery, I’m ready to start earning some coin to support my children. I have been blogging for 7 years now and I haven’t earned a dime on my words. I’ve been hearing a lot about affiliate marketing and I actually have an Amazon affiliate account but I’m not sure how to use it for the blog. Thank goodness for YouTube and podcast because I plan on using them to learn just how to use affiliates successfully. I dont plan on making a whole lot of money but something is better than nothing.

I was also considering becoming a brand ambassador for baby brands or reviewing items for compensation. Dont misunderstand me, I will only review products I have actually used for my baby and I assume an added benefit is that I would get some items for free to do the reviews. Once again, I have no idea how to do that but I know who to ask about approaching brands.

I started a baby development series on Periscope called Oh,Baby! and it will follow my journey into motherhood a second time around as well as document Avery’s progress and growth. Already in the first episode I think I mention poop quite a bit and if I dont,dont worry it’s coming lol. I will go live every 5th of the month at 10 AM EST,with Avery as my co host.

Last but not least I’m restarting a second series on Periscope called The First 100,in which I review the first 100 pages of the book I’m currently reading. It’s not a long drawn out review just a little snippet to what your appetite and help you decided if you want to read it. It will premiere on Monday January 7th, 2019 at 10 AM EST.

I have quite a few social media goals I know but I have a personal goal as well. There is a real concern about health for my mother and her doctor us urging a lifestyle change,which includes healthier eating. My daughter’s doctor also is concerned about health issues for her due to weight gain and so I’ve decided to do a complete overhaul of my refrigerator and eat healthy via the recipes I make. Some of my family’s favorites can be made in a healthier way and so my plan is not to focus on losing weight but to focus on being healthier as a family. The weight loss will just be a bonus.

I would live to hear some of your goals for 2019. Leave them in the comments or hit me up across all social media at mommyincolor(mommyincolor89 on Twitter) Let’s hold each other accountable

I am so glad to not be pregnant anymore. The last few weeks were really uncomfortable. I developed some weird pain in the top of my swollen foot along with a multitude of weird pain inducing and sometimes gross symptoms. But now Avery is here and I’m feeling a little reflective. This pregnancy was very different from the first one birth physically and mentally and I definitely learned a few things about myself and pregnancy:

1) Being dehydrated can cause preterm contractions. I went into the hospital 2 weeks ago because of contractions. They didnt hurt and I had been having them for a few days so I chalked it up to Braxton- Hicks contractions which are not a big deal and no cause for alarm. I was told that I was having contractions because I was dehydrated. (Of course I am Doc, I’m peeing every ten minutes🙄)You see,

Your uterus is a big muscle and, just like any other muscle in your body, it can cramp up when you don’t have enough water.
When someone is pregnant, their blood volume increases by almost two times its usual amount, she explains. If they become dehydrated, blood flow to the uterus is reduced, causing uterine cramping or contractions due to the lack of hydration. “The uterus’s response to the lack of blood volume and fluids is to cramp, which can result in menstrual-like cramping or contractions”- Shannon M. Clark, M.D.

I was encouraged to drink 10-12 glasses of water a day for the rest of my pregnancy and sent home. The water did make the pain disappear.

Dehydrated in the Labor and Delivery Unit

2)Asking for help is a must. When I used to see pregnant women being treated like a handicap person it made the feminist in me enraged. I was determined to be able to do all my normal tasks just as I had always done. Once I hit 7 months, I realized I just couldnt do things. I was too ashamed to admit that I needed help especially after I had been all “I am woman,hear me roar” the whole time. My brother came to me one day and said he had overheard me on the phone complaining about cleaning the house all by myself. He apologized for not realizing just how much assistance I needed and vowed to take out the garbage and clean the litter box for me. He did.

3)Lamaze breathing really does work. Avery’s birth was a scheduled c section but I was feeling more intense contractions and 2 hours after being admitted my water broke. I got nervous because I knew the contractions would only get worse. I immediately flashed back to Amani’s birth and the excruciating pain I experienced during labor. This time,I wanted to be more in control so I took deep breaths as the contractions hit. Surprisingly to me,they really helped. Focusing on my breathing helped distract me from the pain,which on a scale of 1-10 hit a 7.

All in all, I had a great pregnancy. Yeah I had a huge belly and painful edema but I learned that pregnancy is a delicate process you’re body goes through and asking for help not only takes the already heavy load off of you,but it helps bring together family for the preparation of a baby. I’m proud of myself for managing my pain and labor and delivery was quick(5hrs,15 minutes). My first pregnancy experience was full of shame and sadness. I couldnt enjoy watching Amani grow inside me but this time I was filled with overwhelming joy. I encourage all expecting moms to embrace the journey and listen to your body.

If you are following me on Periscope then you remember when I got my copy of What To Expect When You’re Expecting Pregnancy Journal and Organizer back in my 10th week.

No one aside from me is going to see what I wrote in for a long time so I decided to share one of the prompt pages from the journal section. Also,I encourage all you mamas to be to use it as your own journal entry. Enjoy!

THE EIGHTH MONTH

memories&milestones

Baby’s Latest Moves: the kicking and punching is at an all time high, Avery is most active when I’m settling in for the night

I felt my first Braxton Hicks on: haven’t had any yet

Besides the obvious,this part of my body is swollen,too: my butt. Amani is always slapping me on it and talking about how huge its gotten 😬

How I’m Feeling About My Body: I like my growing belly but am self conscious about the bottom half of it because Avery’s head is not there so it’s just soft and jello like

How I’m Feeling In General: sometimes I panic about Avery coming and sometimes I’m just like “Its all good”

My most recent clumsy moment: tripped over my own foot(at least I think it was my foot, I can’t see my feet anymore)

Recently I dreamed: I was chasing my deceased cat down the block,but I couldn’t catch up to her. I woke up crying.

The best pregnancy advice I’ve gotten lately: Rest when you need to

The worst pregnancy advice I’ve gotten lately: none

I’m most sick of hearing: Why did you wait ten years to have another baby?

The nicest thing my partner said to me: He told me my skin looked good

The nicest thing my partner has done for me: he is moving and will not move until his new place is approved by me. He wants to make sure I’m comfortable letting Avery be there.

What I’ll Miss Most About Being Pregnant: eating whatever I want without getting odd looks from people

What I’ll Miss Least: the constant peeing. I pride myself on peeing 2x a day tops but lately it’s been at least 10-20x a day.

What I’m Looking Forward To The Most About Being A Mom: trusting my own judgement when making decisions about Avery. I let other people dictate my decisions when Amani was first born and it made me less confident in myself as a mom.

The best thing about being pregnant,aside from being able to eat what I want, is buying cute baby stuff. My close friend and neighbor gave me her son’s baby clothes and his hardly used car seat. As soon as I folded those things away, I was bitten by the shopping bug. It took me two months after that to buy Avery’s clothes and I think that’s because his health was still a question and I was scared to hit things and something awful happened. But now that that is not an issue anymore, here’s a few things I’ve picked up for my little prince

You’ve already seen the crib in my house,but here is what it looks like outside of the box:Dream On Me Davenport 5-in-1 Convertible Crib-

I had to buy the mattress separate but I got the same brand that made the crib:

Dream on Me 5″ Coil Spring Mattress-$34.99

A bed needs sheets so…(I realized too late that these sheets are for pack n plays. I hope it doesn’t matter).

Pack N Play Playard Fitted Sheets 2 pack-$17.95

Amani would like to show off her baby brother to her friends when it is warmer and I don’t want to pull out the stroller, I can throw on this really cute carrier:

Infantino Flip 4 in 1 Baby Carrier

I suspect Avery will spend a great deal of time getting milk drunk and passing out. He will drool profusely like his sister did and these are the SAME bibs she had:

Neat Soultions 8 pack bibs

I remember how swaddling was a good way to calm a baby,so I wanted to get some nice soft blankets for the perfect nap time:

Flannel Baby Blankets Two by Two 4 Pack

I also bought some milk storage bags, a mattress cover,and some pacifiers. I got most of these things from Target,where my baby registry is. I like their prices and relied on their quality so I’m glad to use them again. Oh,the mattress came from Walmart as did the sheets.

What’s left on my list of baby essentials to get are:

diapers

bath items

medicine cabinet

I love a good deal or sale so if any of you know where I can get the best deals on the above mentioned, drop me a line!!!

“As you start your journey, the first thing you should do is throw away that store- bought map and begin to draw your own”- Michael Dell

I found this quote on fellow blog, Persia, Diary of a Mad Black Woman. I think it totally suits my life right now. As some,if not all of you know, I three months pregnant with baby #2. I wasn’t expecting to be pregnant again. Granted, I wasnt exactly preventing it but it wasn’t in my immediate plans. I’ve beenpretty vocal about wanting another child so I’m definitely excited. However, I wanted to be more financially stable than I am now. I thonl a posotive thing to come out of this pregnancy is a deeper faith and connection with God. I’m really going to have to lean on Him to help me pursue my original goals with a new baby on my hip.

My “store- bought map” as the quote says was leading me in the direction of becoming an entrepreneur and full time blogger. I intended to open an Etsy shop showcasing and selling my crochet projects. I had a name picked out and was even working on a few items to start with. I was researchong pricing and takong webinars on advertising on social media. Then…BOOM,morning sickness forces me to throw away that map and construct my own. I’m the only judt feeling more like myself and setrlong comfortably into the craving stage of pregnancy. My foods of xhoice are B.L.T.s and fruit.

This past week, I had to pray amd listen for what to do about money for Avery (that’s the name I chose whether it’s a boy or girl). Thank God I live in a state where there are resources for women like me. I applied for the Women Infant and Children (W.I.C.) program. Also, next week I will be headed to HRA (welfare) to receive a pregnancy allowance. That will help me buy baby necessities. I still want to blog full time but I’m pretty inconsistent. I set myself up for failure bu promisong to blog every day. Well, Im not doing that this time. For now, I’m aiming for once a week. That will keep me from over extending myself. As for the Etsy shop,I’m not really sure. I guess I could work on items for the duration of my pregnancy and then once the baby comes and I’ve settled into new mom mode, I can start selling. Yes, maybe that’s what I will do.

I would like to take a moment to thank all of you who have supported this psce through the years. I just found out I now have 100 followers and that chokes me up. I never thought 100 people would care what I have to say. I would do a giveaway if my broke self had anything to hibe away. I appreciate the support and love and I hope all 100 of you are also following the Facebook Page: Mommy In Color. Be blessed and be a blessing!